Brassiere



Aug. 24, 1943- s. BECKER ET AL BRASSIERE Filed May 20, 1942 Patented Aug. 24, 1943 Abraham S. Becker and Victor LBecker,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 20, 1942, SerialNo. 443,727

3 Claims.

This invention relates to brassires and. has for its primary object the provision of a brassire in which effective support for the breasts and dia- 'phragm is provided.

The invention contemplates the provision of a brassiere having a, diaphragm-overlying portion located below the breast-cups, said portion being composed of at least two overlapped flap-like portions extending in opposite directions and adjustable as to extent of overlap whereby said overlying portions may be drawn smoothly and with 'a selected degree of tautness or tension over the diaphragm. The invention further contemplates the provision of means at the lower end of the overlapped sections by which engagement with a lower garment, such-a a girdle, is had whereby a downward pull on the overlapped diaphragm sections is attained, and particularly while .the wearer of the garment is in a standing position.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide, in a garment of the character described, an adjustable diaphragm-covering portion Wherein pressure is exerted in a direction transversely.

of the body and across the diaphragm as well a in a downward direction, and particularly when the wearer is in standing position, and in which a material decrease in downward pull on the diaphragm portion is had when the wearer is seated, whereby a release of a considerable degree of pressure on the diaphragm area is had when the wearer is seated.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is a View of the inner face of a brassire constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the brassiere; and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the normally overlapped diaphragm-covering sections folded back to disclose construction.

The garment is primarily composed of the two main parts or sections I and 2, co-operating to form the body portion, said sections being connected together centrally by means of theelastic insert 3. The sections l and 2 are re spectively provided with the arm openings 4 and 5 and shoulder straps *6, the latter being preferably, but not necessarily, of elastic webbing. Each otthe sections I and 2 is provided with the breast pocket or cup 1, and located below the pocket or cup is a diaphragm-covering portion, that formed on' the section i being indicated at 8,, while that formed on the section 2 is disclosed at 9. Section 3 is formed with a tapered'end flap It, normally overlying the section 9, said tapered end being provided with an elastic loop carrying a hook fastener 12 or other equivalent fastening means. When the garment is in use, the hook I2 is adapted for selective engagement with anyone of the several spaced eyelets 43 provided on a reinforcing strip I 4 stitched to the face of the section 2 of the garment.

The diaphragm portion 9 is formed with a laterally extended tapered end or-flap portion I5, similar to that shown at it, said tapered end or-fiap 15 being provided with the elastic loop l6, carrying hook fastener ll, adapted for selective engagement with any one of the spaced eyelets 18, provided on the reinforcing strip l9 secured on section I of the garment, said reinforcing strip and eyelets carried thereby being located at a' position on the outer face or the section'2 similar to the position of the strip i l on the section 2.

When the garment is in its normal position, or in position of wear, the sections 8 and 9 and the tapered end portions i9 and 15 thereof are disposed in overlapping relation, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. When in this position, the hook fastener I2 is in engagement with a selected one of the eyelets 13, while the hook fastener 2, carried by the flap portion l0, engages a selected one of the eyelets I8. Since flap portion l0 underlies the flap portion 15, it is necessary, in order toenable the hook fastener ll to reach the eyelets l8 on the outer face of the garment, to provide a slit 20 in the body of the garment, adjacent to the reinforcing strip Iii. Thus, the hook fastener I! and loop [5, when passed through the slit 20, will reach the eyelets ii! for engagement with any one of the same, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

The portions 8 and ii of the garment are provided at their lower ends with a loop member 26, preferably of elastic webbing, which has one'end attached at 2'2 to the section 8, and its other end attached at 23 to the section 9, said loop carrying a hooked fastener member 2% adapted for attachment to the wearers girdle or other lower garment.

In use, the garment is united about the wearers body by'interengagement of the conventional fastening elements 25 and 26, and the overlapping front flap sections 8 and It] and 9 and 15 are adjusted to the proper tautness across the diastrained.

the wearer assumes a seated position, the down- H diaphragm area of the garment suitable tension will be imposed transversely of the wearers body and across the diaphragm area to restrain out-.

ward bulge of these portions of the body. When the wearer is in an erect or standing position,

downward pull or tension is exerted on the overlapped parts of the diaphragm section so that a vertical or downward tension is thusexerted, inaddition to the transverse tension. Accordingly, the portion of the garment which overlies the diaphragm area is maintained flatwisely and bulge of this portion of the body is greatly re- It will be observed however, that when ward pull on loop 2! is considerably relievedso that a portion of the pressure on the diaphragm area is reduced, and the diaphragm can expand, such expansion beingthen only resisted by the elastic sections H and it. It will thus beapparent that the garment can readily adapt itself to diilerent positions assumed by the wearer, actin to control diaphragm bulge when such bulge is most apparent, or when the wearer is erect or standing, at thesame time allowing expansion for comfort when such expansion: is desirable or necessary.

While we have described one embodiment of the invention, it is obviousthat the same isnot to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough'to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What'we claim is: o

1. In a garment of the character described, a body portion having parts: disposed over the diaphragm of the wearer, said partsv comprising. a pair of overlapping flap portionshaving taperedends extending in opposite directions, each of said tapered ends beingprovid'edwith an expansible end portion carrying an attaching element, spaced means on the outer face of the body portion for securing said attaching elements in one of several selected positions to thereby govern the degree of overlap of the flap portions, the body portion being provided with a slit through which the expansible end portions on one of the flaps is extended to reach the means on the bo y portion to which it is adapted to be secured.

2. In a brassire, a body portion provided with two independent sections, each of which is proo vided with a breast-receiving pocket, said sections being elastically connected between the breastreceiving pockets, a diaphragm-covering section below the breast-receiving pockets and composed of two overlapped portions adjustable relatively to one another to regulate the extent of overlap, means'connected to said overlapped portions to draw the same transversely of the body of the wearer and hold the same under elastic tension, anelastic V-shaped; loop member'having leg portions each attached to one of the overlapped portions at the lower edge of the same, said loop member carrying a fastening element and being capable of having its-leg portions moved toward or awa from one another asthe extent of overlap of the overlapped portions is adjusted.

3. In a brassire, a diaphragm-covering portion composed of two overlapped flaps, means at the end of each flap for adjustable attachment of said end to the-body of the brassiere and for maintaining the two flaps in a desired overlapping position, a single'elastic loop member dependent from the lower ends of both flaps, said member having two ends, one of each of said ends bein secured to one of the flaps, and means on said loop member for attachment to a lower garment to exert downward tensional pull on the'two overlapped flapsparticularly when the wearer'is inan erect position, said attachment means being located substantially on the vertical center line of the garment.

ABRAHAM S; BECKER. VICTOR I. BECKER. 

